Centering device for flush valve stem



March 29, 1960 a. F. DERRYBERRY CENTERING DEVICE FOR FLUSH VALVE STEM Filed Jan. 15. 1959 El i! INVENTOR FIG. 3 cranes meow: 0522mm) ATTORNEY stem bracket.

UD- tfZd Stflt$ Patent DEVICE FOR FLUSH VALVE STEM I George Freddie Derryberry, Lewisburg, Tenn.

Application January 15,1959, Serial No. 787,068 j 3 Claims; (cl. 4 '-s7 Thisinvention relates to a flush tank valve and more particularly to a device for centering the flush tank valve and'valve stem with respect to the valve seat.

The cause of most improper or irregular seating of flush valves of the float type in their corresponding valve seats is the disalignment of the valve stem with respect to the'center of the valve seat; 'The valve stem becomes disaligned because oneor both of the clamps on the valve stem bracket becomes out of adjustment. Such disalignment and consequent irregular valve seating wastes water, creating an unnecessary expense to the owner who J must not only pay for the water but also for 'a plumbers time in adjusting and sometimes readjusting the valve The present method of aligning the valve stem 'and flushvalve with respect to the valve seat is to manipulate the "bracket clamps until the valve stem appears to be in true vertical alignment with the stem socket in the top of the valve when the'valve is firmly seated. Such a procedure has been accomplished by eye and necessarily depends upon the skill and experience of the plumber.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention, partly in section; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the lines 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to' the drawings in more detaiL'Fig. 2 discloses the bottom of a flush tank 10 including a discharge or outlet pipe-11 terminating at its up'perend in an annular valve seat 12 adapted to receive a flush valve of the float'or hollow-ball type, not shown. Communicating with .the discharge pipe 11 below valve seat 12 is the overflow pipe 13, which extends vertically upward adjacent the valve seat 12 within the flush tank 10. on the overflow pipe 13 is a valve stem guide bracket 15 comprising a column clamp 16 for rotatably adjusting the bracket on the overflow pipe 13, and a rod clamp 17 for rotatably and longitudinally adjusting the rod 18 fixed to the stem guide 19. A conventional valve stem 20 comprising a wire rod of cylindrical cross section, forming an eye 21 at its upper end'and threaded at its lower end 22, is adapted to freely slide longitudinally through the stem guide 19. When the valve stem 20 is properly adjusted for operation, it will be supported for vertical longi- It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages enumerated by providing a centering device which will accurately align the valve stem with respect to-the center of the valve seat without relying on the human eye. a

One object of this invention is to provide a centering device fora flush valve stem which comprises a weighted body adapted to be supported in the valve seat and having a centrally and vertically located guideway for freely receiving the valve stem when it is vertically aligned with respect to the center of the valve seat.

Another object of this invention-is to provide a centering device for a conventional cylindrical flush valve stem comprising a weighted body adapted to be supported in the valve seat and having a cylindrical guideway with an opening in the top and a diameter only slightly greater than that of the valve stem in order to permit the valve stem to freely fall through the guideway when the stem is accurately and vertically aligned withthe center of the valve seat. 1

A further object of this invention is to provide a centering device for a conventional cylindrical flush valve stem comprising a solid body of substantially spherical shape adapted to be supported in the valve seat, including a cylindrical guideway extending through the, center of the body and having a diameter only slightly greater than the diameter of the valve stem.

Another object of this invention is to provide a centering device for a flush valve stem which may be employed by a relatively unskilled plumber for accurately seating a flush valve in a single operation without the necessity of repeat visits.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention;

tudinal movement and will be inalignment with the center of the annular valve seat 12 so that when the threaded end 22 is screwed into the threaded socket of the ball or float valve, notshown, the valve will engage the valve seat 7 evenly at all points to completely close the discharge pipe 11. The parts thus far described are old in the art of flush valve mechanisms.

In order to accurately align the valve stem 20 with the valve seat 12, a centering device comprising a weighted body 25, substantially spherical and preferably made of solid steel, is adapted to be supported within the valve seat 12. The weight of the body 25 should be sufiicient to stabilize the supported position of the body in the valve seat- 12. The body 25 disclosed in the drawings is actually made in the same shape as a float valve, having a circular cross section at any'given elevation. The upper portion of the body 25 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the valve seat 12 in order that the body will be supported on top of the valve seat. The lower portion .26 of the body 25 is necked down to a diameter smaller diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the valve stem 20 and extending coaxially through the center of the body 25. The guideway 28 opens in the top of the body 25 and extends through the body a substantial distance sufficient to receive the threaded end 22 of the valve stem when the valve stem 20 is in its lowermost position as disclosed by the solid line position of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 2 discloses the guideway 28 as extending entirely through the body 25. When the body 25 is in operative position, the guideway 28 is vertical. The surface of the lower portion 26 adapted toengage the seat 12 is substantially spherical in order that the body 25 may be universally and slidably moved in its seat to establish the true vertical position of the guideway 28. v p

In order to more easily manipulate the body 25, a grip 29 comprising an annular rib is formed on the surface of the body 25. For a substantially spherical body' having a maximum transverse diameter of approximately 2 /2 inches, the rib preferably has a radius of approximately one-eighth inch and is located vertically about one-half inch' above the top of the valve seat 12.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

When it is detected that the flush valve is not engaging the valve seat 12 properly, causing water to leak from the flush tank 10 between the flush valve and the valve seat through the discharge pipe 11, the flush valve is 2,930,048 7 "r Patented :Mar-

Mounted unscrewed from the threaded end of the valve stem'22 and removed from the flush tank 10. The centering'device 25 is then placed in the valve seat 12 with the lower portion 26 depending below the valve seat, and the body 25 is manipulated by means of the grip 29 until the guideway'23 is substantially vertical. While the body 25 is being vertically adjusted, the valve stem'20 is held in the elevated dashed line position of Fig. 2.

, After the body 25 is substantially centered by eye, the valve stem 20 is released. Because of its disalignment with the valve seat 12, the threaded end 22 will come to rest on top of the body 25, or it will enter the guideway 28 at an angle to jam against the walls of the guideway 28 to prevent the valve stem from descending to its lowermost position. By releasing the clamps 16 and 17, the stem guide rod 18 may be moved laterally, longitudinally or rotatably, until the axis of the valve stem is vertically aligned with the center of the guideway 28, whereby the It will be apparent to'those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: a

1. In a flush tank having a valve seat, a valve stem, and a universally adjustable bracket for slidably supporting said valve stem above said valve seat, a devicefor vertically centering said valve stem with respect to said seat comprising a non-fioatable, weighted body' having a substantially spherical surface, said body havinga diameter larger than said valve seat so that said body may be threaded end 22 will fall freely and without. obstruction through the guideway 28 until the eye 21 abuts the top of the stem guide 19, as disclosed by the solid line position of Fig. 2. In this position, the column clamp 16 and the rod clamp 17 are again tightened to hold the stem guide 19 in its vertically adjusted position. The stem 20 is then elevated, the centering device removed from the valve seat 12, and the flush valve, not shown, is again screwed on the threaded end 22 of the valve stem 20. The valve stem 20 and the flush valve are then both accurately aligned withthe center of the valve seat 12 to permit the flush valve to properly engage the valve seat and prevent any further leakage of water from the flush tank 10.

Since the weighted body 25 must be manually adjusted within the valve seat 12 to vertically position the guideway 28 by eye, the lack of perception or skill of the operator may cause the body 25 to be supported in a position whereby the guideway 28 is not truly vertical. In such a situation, the body 25 may have to be manipulated simultaneously with the manipulation of the stem guide rod 18 and the clamps 16 and 17, until the threaded end 22 freely falls through the guideway 28.

supported by said valve seat, a guideway for said valve stem extending substantially through said body and terminating in an opening in the top of said body flush with said spherical surface for receiving said valve stem, said guideway having a similar uniform cross section and being of slightly greater dimension than said valve stem to permit free passage of said stem within said guideway when said stem and said guideway are aligned.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which .said body comprises solid steel.

3. The method of centering a universally supported flush valve stem and flush valve coaxially with a flush valve seat comprising the steps of removing said flush valve from said flush valve stem, elevating said flush valve stem, placing a body having a guideway for and of slightly greater cross section than said stem in said valve seat, adjusting said body so that said guideway will be substantially vertical, releasing said valve stem to descend freely upon said body, laterally adjusting said stem until it is suspended freely and coaxially within said guideway, elevating said stem, removing said body and reassembling said valve stem and flush valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,259 Dague May 8, 195.6 

